Oct 13, 2013

Hungry Monkey Granola

Woo oh my, it has been a WHILE that I haven't swirled and scrambled, hasn't it... What else is there to say other then that my life has been busy (in a good way!) and a couple of things have changed- including my diet... believe it or not, but....*drum rolls*...I have gone...*drum rolls*....v....e....g....no not vegetarian. I've gone vegan! It's been a little over six months now that I've stopped consuming animal products. It all has to do with a trip to Jamaica earlier this year, where I decided to experience my trip eating at "Rastaurants"- basically where Rastas eat.

I had been doing some research prior to my trip and found out that the diet of Rastafarian culture is an "Ital" one- in a nutshell, wholesome, organic vegan food. There are some variations around it where fish is permitted, but not all kinds of fish. It's a very interesting philosophy around food and its impact on one's body & mind. Well I was certainly convinced and decided to give it a try. I've never been a big meat eater in the first place, so I was looking forward to it, and the transition to vegan seemed to happen naturally. Today I can truly say that I feel good without animal products. I really do. The funny thing is that I had tried the whole Paleo thing before, but all that meat was getting to me. I just felt "toxic" inside. Anyway- the point is, you should eat what feels right, what feels "natural" to you and not one someone preaches to you. Don't listen to the hype- just listen to your body and follow the signs. I have no clue how long this vegan thing is going to last for... but for now, I'm enjoying it :)

Anyhow- so that's one reason why I stopped blogging because I was getting used to a whole new culinary lifestyle.

So...I can't promise anything, but I am hoping to have some more regular activity on here! Sorry for going all silent, but now you know why :)

With that said- granola! I'm sure that like me, lately you've been coming across this plethora of home made granola recipes, no? I finally had the chance to get around it and it sure is one fun thing to do! I had a bunch of oats and made a chocolatey version with almonds, raisins and banana chips. I even decided to give it a name: Hungry Monkey Granola!

Which are then mixed with honey and coconut oil, baked in the oven for a good hour or so...

Add in non-nut based toppings of choice: raisins, banana chips!

Indeed, there is no rocket science behind homemade granola :)

HUNGRY MONKEY GRANOLA

Ingredients:

3 cups oats (not the instant type!)

1 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

3-4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa

1/4 cup coconut oil

Raisins

Banana chips

Preheat oven to 250F. In a bowl, mix the oats, almonds, cocoa and brown sugar. Then add the honey. Finish with coconut oil. Lay it all out on a baking tray and bake for 60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes for even colour and toastiness. Remove from oven and let cool. Transfer to a bowl and add raisins and banana chips to your preference. Serve with milk or almond milk...or whatever you want! Enjoy!

Notes:

Substitutions: you can substitute honey with molasses, agave- heck even corn syrup if that's what you want to do! You can also switch coconut oil with vegetable oil, as long as it's not olive oil. I used coconut as that's what I had on hand at the time.

The Crrrrrunch! Factor: The more honey (or other liquid sugar source) you add, the more clusters you'll get. So it's up to you, just don't sugar-bomb the recipe :)

Final result: incase you're curious, this recipe made about 19.4 ounces/550gr of total product

Hi Beth!! Believe it or not I too do not like bananas when eaten plain straight up, but I do like Banana Chips :) Anyway, I think with a chocolate base your options are endless :) Originally I wanted to do a chocolate-almond-coconut-dried cherries combo. If you can find large shavings of dried coconut that is a good substitute to banana chips! Hugs!

This looks so amazing! I have been wanting to make my own granola for a really long time. I might give this one a try as my first-ever homemade granola :) I personally could probably not go vegan, but I would love to experience the food culture in Jamaica. I have already heard and seen so much about it!

ABOUT THIS BLOG

I started Swirl & Scramble because ever since I was a child I enjoyed transforming my kitchen dreams into a reality. Whether it be spontaneous culinary improvisation or well kept family secrets, from savoury to sweet, I needed a place to capture and share these moments. I'm a a curious self-taught cook but have had some basic knowledge at the prestigious Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne and an incredible training experience in the kitchens of the lavish Hotel de Crillon in Paris, France.

I've lived in Greece, Switzerland, France and am now in the NYC area which is a real treat for a culinary lover like myself. In the meantime, I try to travel as much as I can. Most of my travel photography is on my Flickr stream.

You may notice that many of my recipes are of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern influence...the fact is that these origins run in the family and I pretty much grew up on olive oil, onions and garlic!

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the recipes!

Photography is done by myself, MariannaF, unless otherwise stated.

If you are interested in using any of my recipes or photos, please ask- just leave a comment and I will e-mail you right back.

Thank you!

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